practicing abroad, as a US allopathic graduate

[a_student]

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I asked this question in the allopathic forum and I thought I should ask the question here considering that many of you might be able to answer this question better.

does a person have to be board certified (by a US residency program) to practice in a non-industrialized country, or would simply the american MD be enough?
Another question: Does a person have to be board certrified by an industrialized countries' residency program to be able to practice there (e.g. to practice in england I'd have to be board certified by a residency program in england), does this also apply if I want to be a family practitionar in England, or any other european country? Would I still have to complete a residency program and take usmle equivalents there?

i'm an ms1 at a US allopathic school, so my knowledge of both us residency programs and programs abroad are limited, thx in advance for answering my questions.

 

[f_w]

Where do you intend to go ?

As for the UK:

A US MD per-se doesn't make you eligible for 'GMC registration' (the equivalent of a medical license). They have a dedicated exam for foreign medical graduates (the PLAB) which you would have to sit for first.

If however, you hold a specialty board certification in the US, the 'specialist training authority' in conjunction with the respective specialty college can assess your qualifications and give you a certificate of completion of specialist training'. With this certificate in hand, you would be eligible for 'GMC registration' without the PLAB.
So, for someone who has finished training in the US and gained some further experience here, it is possible to go to the UK to work. The national health service is very shorthanded in a couple of specialties. A physician trained in the US wouldn't have a problem to find employment (at least right now).

As for developing countries:

Some countries don't care where you are from and how you trained. If you just take care of their underserved citizens, they will gladly issue you some sort of medical registration e.g. for volunteer or missionary work.

Others have an elaborate medical registration system (often following the pattern of their former colonial power). They will create a lot of buerocratic red-tape (which to cut will cost you or your local sponsors a couple of 'warm handshakes' with the requisite officials.)

 

[retroviridae]

In Thailand, for e.g., you cannot get a license to practice except after having done the Thai boards (in Thai by the way). In Singapore it depends which US school you went to as to whether or not it will be recgonised (I don't know why all US schools aren't recognised). Malaysia will let you get a license, but you have to go through M'sian training. Board certification is not necessary, but you would have to do some prolonged internship training in these countries. If you have your US board certs, then you could possible get it recognized (true in Thailand, but you still have to pass the Thai boards).

 

[a_student]

In Thailand, for e.g., you cannot get a license to practice except after having done the Thai boards (in Thai by the way). In Singapore it depends which US school you went to as to whether or not it will be recgonised (I don't know why all US schools aren't recognised). Malaysia will let you get a license, but you have to go through M'sian training. Board certification is not necessary, but you would have to do some prolonged internship training in these countries. If you have your US board certs, then you could possible get it recognized (true in Thailand, but you still have to pass the Thai boards).

thats somewhat strange, that some allopathic schools aren't accepted and others are, do u know if all top 20 schools are accepted? thx.

 

[f_w]

> In Thailand, for e.g., you cannot get a license to practice except
> after having done the Thai boards (in Thai by the way).

They apparently do issue tempoary licenses without the boards. A colleague of my wife (with thai family roots) goes to some rural hospital there every year and operates all the cataracts they have accumulated over the year.

 

[retroviridae]

> In Thailand, for e.g., you cannot get a license to practice except
> after having done the Thai boards (in Thai by the way).

They apparently do issue tempoary licenses without the boards. A colleague of my wife (with thai family roots) goes to some rural hospital there every year and operates all the cataracts they have accumulated over the year.

you can work "under the supervision" of a licensed physician. That's fine for charity work. If you actually want to live there and have your own practice, it's a different story.

 

[retroviridae]

thats somewhat strange, that some allopathic schools aren't accepted and others are, do u know if all top 20 schools are accepted? thx.

List of recognised US schools in Singapore. The numbers start at 51 because other countries' schools are listed above the US. http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/SMChome.html

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
51. Baylor College of Medicine
52. Los Angeles School of Medicine, University of California
53. School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego
54. San Francisco School of Medicine, University of California
55. Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago
56. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York)
57. Cornell University Medical College (New York)
58. Duke University School of Medicine
59. Emory University School of Medicine
60. Harvard Medical School
61. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
62. Mayo Medical School
63. University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor)
64. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
65. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
66. Stanford University School of Medicine
67. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas
68. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
69. University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle)
70. Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis)
71. Yale University Medical School

 

[f_w]

> you can work "under the supervision" of a licensed physician. That's fine
> for charity work. If you actually want to live there and have your
> own practice, it's a different story.

Ah, that makes sense. Probably the local general surgeon is 'supervising' her while she singlehandedly does her phacos ;-))

 

[a_student]

List of recognised US schools in Singapore. The numbers start at 51 because other countries' schools are listed above the US. http://www.smc.gov.sg/html/SMChome.html

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
51. Baylor College of Medicine
52. Los Angeles School of Medicine, University of California
53. School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego
54. San Francisco School of Medicine, University of California
55. Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago
56. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (New York)
57. Cornell University Medical College (New York)
58. Duke University School of Medicine
59. Emory University School of Medicine
60. Harvard Medical School
61. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
62. Mayo Medical School
63. University of Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor)
64. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
65. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
66. Stanford University School of Medicine
67. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas
68. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
69. University of Washington School of Medicine (Seattle)
70. Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis)
71. Yale University Medical School

yeah it looks like those schools are mostly the usnews "top 20", that seems so strange, what is their criteria for including a school on their list?